I registered this blog 17/3/2017 I have been a blogger a little longer in a previous role at the old site Geek Planet Online site and shout out to Dave and Gillian who helped me start the blogging life. But five years on my main blog is making me think about past present and future (turning 45 probably also had an impact). Fear not I have no intention hanging up my womble helm but think not a bad time as my blog is now eligible for primary school to take a stock take and to be honest five years blogging probably makes me argh established? This month there may be a few blogging focused articles to come.

Who am I?

One interesting question bouncing round my head is why do I do this? I love books – yes but so do lots of people and that’s fine without blogging. Do I enjoy giving recommendations ahem booktempting? Of course you know that but for that do I need to sit down and write that up many hours a week with a loose schedule for the next three months reading? Probably not? When File 770 mentioned the latest Subjective Chaos and called us online book critics why did that make me go eh? Two other interesting articles that got me looking at my own reasons for blogging were A taxonomy of reviewing | Through the dark labyrinth (wordpress.com) from Paul Kincaid and Strange Horizon’s new podcast (with transcript) Strange Horizons - Podcast: Critical Friends Episode 1 By Aishwarya Subramanian, Dan Hartland, and Maureen Kincaid Speller talking about reviewing and the ecosystem we fit in or perhaps don’t.

Am I a book reviewer or a blogger? Are they the same thing? I like Paul’s article a lot. One of the pains when I finish a book is what the hell am I going to write this time. That s definitely something I have noticed that has changed as I read books. In the old days it was me asking myself what is going to happen next. Now I’m reading thinking oh that’s a good piece I need to mention; there is a theme; argh that doesn’t work, and I must remember not to spoil that for a reader. An average novel tends to be plot and plus and very likely minus points for me. A good book however will give me something chewy to think about and discuss as well as that and a great book that is often the hardest to review because what I’m feeling is more really heart eyes emoji and book hangover but when I can get the words together that’s the one where I usually say hmm two sides of A4 may be too much for this one and editing ensues. There aren’t actually any rules as to what a review mist be as Paul’s article explains long and short can work for various purposes Blogging too is a broad term and I think also is reviewing. There are great reviewers who can in a couple of paragraphs sum up a book and their thoughts and that’s enough. Those bloggers work hard to do a lot of content and they have been working a long time to make a name for themselves that their many good choices helped their audience decide. Don’t think that a few words are enough? Then watch people in bookshops browse and read the blurb. Its possible they’ve read blogs and reviews in other media, but I suspect for many picking up; reading the back and a few pages also very quickly made a mind up. I like a bit more than that just because my brain likes me to pull stuff out. I suspect this is various essay habits from my student days. So why do I like writing about books?

Am I an Analyst or Historian?

Kincaid’s article has a great summary of the ways a review can get more and more information in it. One thing I don’t think I am is a person looking as they say to look too much about how this book adds or fits into the wider history of a sub-genre. Spoilers Dear Reader but while my lack of interest in classics and canon is well shouted about on twitter as I’m a middle aged womble I will have occasionally tried these books and even more scary some recent constant ‘modern classic must reads’ I was around for when they were first published! I’m not however that interested in connecting to the past very much. I can recognise when someone is echoing a theme or in dialogue, I very really do not want my reviews though to a with b and I would not even like to very much look at comparing an author’s latest with their previous work too often. I was a different person when I first read that book so why should I be shocked the author has changed too?

You’ll rarely see me say this book is Game of thrones meet Dune and not just because I dislike both of those series either and you may notice I don’t ask authors about influences in interviews. While I know this can work in marketing I you gentle readers to decide for yourself. Actually, that’s a lie! One thing I enjoy reading is working out who do I know will love this type of book in the ways I do and trying to ensure that bit of my audience hears what they need to snap it up.

Am I then contrarian or canon heretic? I tend to look at a book as talking about the now. I may appreciate the links to the past but for me the most interesting question when I’m reviewing is what does this book have to tell me about the world I am living in and my own reactions to it? If a book helps me explore that question, then its already moved up to a category where the review has something for me to chew on. That’s what is the joy of blogging to me. I do recognise all books are in conversation with others but I’m probably more interested in today’s chats rather than how we are now reinterpreting that of a few decades ago. My bias here is a lot of classics I was old I must read as a young geek I found dry and dusty. I am far more aware now here were better books than those ‘legends’ we all got taught to read but the problem for me is if you give me a choice between a new book and a old one. I generally want the new one because that is about today’s world. I do love the analysis side of a review – what works and what does not. A book with pluses and minuses is actually easier to write than one that is all sweety goodness as explaining why everything works is harder. Capturing my reactions to books are personal and the best books establish that connection which can make the review almost a confessional. Perhaps I am an exhibitionist?

Am a Bad Influence?

The fun bit of Paul’s blog is when they talk about the book blogger and influencer. There is a mention of how a publisher was more interested in a blogger than someone who reviews for Interzone. I can possibly sense why that may be the case. Many magazines such as Locus and Interzone have great reputations but perhaps the books they tend to enjoy reviewing the most fit a certain profile and also possibly their readership too fits a certain profile? While there will be intersections I am not sure all my online readership do read the same magazines. Paul discusses some of us as influencers and yes there is an element of bloggers being marketing (that’s how many of us get our ARCS)  but I would argue when publishers send the magazines to books they too are not doing it for purely independent validation that their book is good but also for the benefit of finding an audience. That a book gets Interzone approval looks good on the paperback blurb; but increasingly an Eloquent Page or Fantasy Inn recommendation is also being recognised a good badge to get. The reviewing world is changing so I’m not too sure the lines are all that different there. A good reviewer and bloggers still reviews on the merits of the book not that they got paid by a magazine or a free book from a publisher.

One interesting bit I gave thought to is using lines as a good hook that a publisher can use. This for Paul is a line too far but for me – nah. That isn’t for me being marketing slave for Big Publishing. Every publicist I have worked with is actually very respectful when I didn’t like their book and was polite but firm in why not. I think if the audience know your opinions are honest then they respect you more and pay attention when you say this is good and sometimes please don’t pick this up. Publicists will still get in touch for future books that may and often do work better for my tastes. For me those hooks in the last paragraph where I try to wrap up all my thoughts exist for the future reader in a good few final lines are those I work hard on to work on you because I want people to read the book and that’s my last chance to make an impression. It doesn’t surprise me then those lines get used elsewhere. The key bit is whether you are a reviewer doing whether you like the book or not? If you are doing that latter bit then for me you’re not a blogger you’re an unpaid ad space.

So am I an influencer? I suspect I want to be a very very very good bad influence on your wallet and TBR shelf (this may not be a surprise). Am a critic? Probably not in the true sense of the word but I do think I’m a reviewer trying very hard to get your attention and talk hard about this book. I wants you to have it. The best feeling, I get is when someone tells me they bought a book I reviewed. The even better feeling is when I hear they loved it and that means they’re probably going to want to know what I have for them next. I love Paul’s discussion on how reviews come in all shapes and sizes and its great for me to think well where do I fit in in that discussion.

Am I In The Secret Blogger Network?

Now talking about books. This may be something I actually do this for the most that neatly chimes with what I took away from the Strange Horizons discussion and this is something I think blogging could do better at. There is talk here of the ‘ecosystem’. Prior to facebook and social media there were the online blogs and many all linked to others, or you could get feeds all linking to your faves. This for the group created an online ecosystem of bloggers talking about books and that led to conversations. A reacted to B or developed themes then explored further by C. As we move online those people tend to do this long blog thread instead. Not so much instant reactions but time to digest and pull thoughts together and perhaps not just create social waves of anger and joy?

I do love a tweet it is quicker than a blog to write and you can move on quickly to the next hot take. I sorta missed this older livejournal style time in my channel of a network and not for me I know all my blogger comrades through twitter, and we cross paths mainly in that space. I though am not sure we are all in dialogue with each other when it comes to our blogs. Its hard for me to read a popular blog’s thoughts on book I may be about to review myself. I don’t want my thoughts or comments to too much copy theirs. I tend to read them when I do briskly and not come back until my own review is done. I wonder how many of us do that? Perhaps I should trust myself to help say this blog also had a lot to say on this different tangent that Dear reader you may also enjoy. No blogger reacts in exactly the same way to a book and actually perhaps we need to explore those reactions more. I can think of a recent SF book exploring sexual violence and the impact on victims and the reactions are so varied that its means everyone is processing that story in different ways and that reaction tells us a lot about our society? I love boosting new blogs but there may be different ways to do it and also have more delicious book chats?

The Lonely Womble Lord In Their Dark Tower?

Blogging is quite these days solitary. Especially in my northern stronghold I don’t often meet many in real space that often and I definitely think one reason I do this is I enjoy the wider discussions social media has. (You really can squeeze UK SF fandom into various small convention halls l I’ve seen it in action!) It is rare for me to have an actual chat until I go to a convention, book event or even organise seeing some friends. Doing this may be me scratching a social itch and like the Horizons way I wonder if there are better ways that bloggers can talk to one another. Would that improve the wider discussion not sure but be interesting to have wider discussions on it that are not carrots are good and cauliflower is bad binary discussions. Do we need a group discord, a #BloggerDay to share ideas or wider thoughts on a question of the day? Be prepared to do more than share each other’s blogs but add commentary and not be afraid to mention this in revies and other blogs? I’m not sure but it is a really interesting and attractive idea to explore how we can do this more across our timezones and geography. I think these needs further thought and wider discussion, but I do know a regular habit like asking people what they read every Sunday morning can build up a dialogue and an audience in time plus it is fun! Food for thought

I am not Number Six

In summary then I am someone who likes to tempt books and chat about books. I like to compel you by my demonic influences to buy a book and I want you to enjoy it and come back for more. I’m interested in the now and the future and I like being a bad influence on you. Ultimately I’m The Womble and I blog because this is fun and each book review tells me a little more about myself in the process and I want you to enjoy that too come closer I have some books for you…closer….closer….got ya!